The Second Time Around
by Kurashitsuji
Summary: When Elizabeth Midford's mind finally manages to break from the hold of the Sphere Music Hall, nothing in this world could have prepared her for the surprise of her life. "Chapter 130.5". This fic includes spoilers from the very recent chapters of the manga. Gentle CielxLizzy. Drama, Angst, Twin Theory.


Elizabeth Midford had the tendency to walk in on things she wasn't supposed to see.

She wasn't supposed to see her brother, Edward, naked and exposed in their bathroom by accident this one time.

She wasn't supposed to have seen her mother and father exchange a steamy kiss in their garden outside the Midford manor.

She wasn't supposed to see her fiancé- Ciel Phantomhive- on top of Sienglinde Sullivan in his office by accident one afternoon.

But she was absolutely certain what she wasn't supposed to see **_two_** Phantomhive boys in the manor at once.

Elizabeth had bolted into the Phantomhive manor, eager to see Ciel. She'd been feeling very strange lately, and the warnings of the fortune teller she'd visited a few days ago kept rattling her cranium. What was bothering her about her fiance? Were these worrisome dreams normal for any betrothed girl to go through? Or were these premonitions? The blonde heiress had been having strange dreams lately; ones where her aunt and uncle were alive and well; and Ciel hadn't been taken from her. Sometimes she could see the face of his twin brother, who didn't return to her all those years ago. It was taboo to mention him in Ciel's presence, so no one ever did, but that didn't mean that Elizabeth didn't think of him from time to time.

Elizabeth wrapped her pale hand around the broach that adorned her chest as the carriage she'd taken came to a halt. It was pouring with rain, so she sprinted towards the towering doors of the Phantomhive manor. She'd been reluctant to go home lately- as she'd developed a distaste for the place- so she decided the second best place to go was to her fiance's. She'd felt bad about escaping the manor through a window via bedsheets days before... she was certain Ciel and her brother alike were just trying to help her. It wasn't their fault they didn't understand what the Sphere Music Hall had done for her. Pushing the large wooden doors open with her hands, she'd stumbled upon a scene that she was **_definitely_** not supposed to see.

Her gasp cut the silence that had filled the oval shaped room sharply, as servants and nobility alike both quickly turned their heads in surprise towards her direction. The blue ribboned heels that adorned her dainty feet made a nervous clicking sound as she stumbled backwards on the black and white checkered floor, her trembling hand clasped in shock over her mouth. The blonde heiress was shaking violently with fear and confusion; her emerald green irises filling with stinging tears and sudden bewilderment. She felt her back press against the wooden doors she'd just opened.

"Lizzy!" the twins said in unison, one filled with joy and amusement; the other with concern and regret. The taller of the two began to further walk down the stairs, passing Tanaka, the smaller twin, and all the servants. Elizabeth searched around the room with her eyes, her blonde hair shaking as her head whirled around in confusion. She scanned the troubled faces before her for confirmation of what she was seeing; this had to be another dream. She clenched her fist and tugged at the blue material that made her sleeve nervously, as the taller boy that looked just like her beloved got closer to her.

"Elizabeth," Real!Ciel cooed, grabbing both of Elizabeth's small hands in his own. He smiled warmly at her pale face as an amused smirk adorned his own. "My, how you've grown."

"Ciel?" Elizabeth squeaked, tilting her chin up to meet his gaze. She squinted in disbelief at his doll like features, confusion clouding her face. The blue haired Earl laughed at her childish expression; he'd missed how positively adorable his betrothed was. He lifted the back of his palm and dragged it down her flushed red cheek, relishing in how smooth and warm her skin felt. Elizabeth leaned into the touch, closing her eyes as memories of this sort of affection flooded her mind.

"Yes, Lizzy. It is I- the **_true_** head of the household- Ciel Phantomhive. Your betrothed."

Sebastian Michaelis was disturbed by very few things. Under any other circumstance, the reunion of two lovers would be a beautiful site that anyone would be inclined to celebrate. But this reunion was putrid. Something was off, and there was a weight of disturbance that plagued the halls of the Phantomhive manor; and this exchange between the young Lady Elizabeth and the mysterious older twin only added to the uneasiness of the situation. The black clad demon butler glanced at his young master, who was visibly shaken by the entire ordeal. Our!Ciel was crouched over, clutching at his stomach from uneasiness. He could hear his older twin greet Elizabeth loud and clear; but to witness the altercation would be too much.

"Young master..." Sebastian said in a low whisper, gripping Our!Ciel gently by the shoulders. The asthmatic twin flinched at the touch of his loyal demon servant, still shaking from shock.

"Would you like me to remove him from Lady Elizabeth?"

Real!Ciel's expression changed swiftly from that of a delighted romantic smile, to a cold stormy glare that rivaled the the ominous weather beating outside the manor. Turning his body away from Elizabeth and back towards everyone else, the true heir spat; "That won't be necessary in the slightest, _butler._ I have no intentions of harming Elizabeth... but you, little brother, you might."

"Young master! He's an imposter!" Finny squeaked suddenly, capturing the attention of the room. The blonde gardener continued to rant in protest. "Nothin' but nonsense comin' out'a his mouth! He's lyin'! Isn't 'e, Sebastian?" Finnian asked, grasping at the demon butler's black clad tail coat. Sebastian glanced at the Real!Ciel's smug expression and frowned before looking back at Our!Ciel's broken one. Sighing in defeat, he responded.

"He speaks the truth."

Lightening flashed and thunder crashed outside; the light illuminating the shocked expressions of everyone in the Phantomhive entryway. Mey Rin covered her mouth with both her hands in disbelief, while Baudroy and Finny both stared in shock at Our!Ciel. How is it that the young master they'd grown to care for was a twin? And a liar, no less?

The thunder was deafening.

Real!Ciel began to laugh, the maniacal chuckle escaped his throat and filled up a room that was deafened with shocked silence. He pulled Elizabeth forward forcefully by her hand and hissed fiendishly; "Come, little brother. Now is as good a time as any to fess up to your fibs. Do you see what your little charade has done? Now all the servants and Lizzy here are confused. We're all dying to know why you did it. I, for one, won't be upset with you no matter the reason. So be honest, will you?"

Elizabeth fearfully looked over to Our!Ciel, as dreadful realization dawned over her. She shook her head in panicky disbelief as the puzzle pieces began to fit together in her mind.

" _A...Astre_?"

Our!Ciel flinched at Elizabeth's murmuring of the name, not having heard it in what felt like a lifetime. He instinctively looked up towards Elizabeth, establishing eye contact with her. His cobalt blue eye was pleading with her emerald green ones, communicating waves of sorrow and despair.

Elizabeth gasped, the expression on his face confirming her gutting suspicion. Water stung at the bottom and corner of her emerald eyes viciously; and she couldn't stop them from flowing. The smirking Real!Ciel lifted his hand to her eyes to dry them, but she feverishly pushed his hand out of the way. Stepping forward accusingly, she shouted, "It was you this whole time?!"

"Lizzy, I'm sorry-"

"No!" The blonde mistress shrieked, stomping her low heeled foot on the ground in anger. Her pale blue dress shook with her every movement along with the tight pigtails fastened with baby blue ribbon on top of her head. Every fiber of her being was prickling with emotion; anger, sorrow, confusion, even relief managed to sneak in, but was quickly subdued by the other more passionate ones. "It wasn't supposed to be this way! I was only meant to love one of you- one! How could you do this?!"

"Well, you heard the lady." Real!Ciel retorted, leaning snidely against a large white pillar. He ankles and arms were crossed in a smug, superior fashion that made Our!Ciel's blood boil. "Explain yourself."

Elizabeth saw Our!Ciel struggle to find the words to explain his actions. The entire situation had become too much for the young lady, and she found herself sprinting away from the scene and to the nearest powder room. She heard her name being called in unison by the twins again, but she shut the heavy wooden door behind her with a _bang!_ and locked it. Leaning against the oak wood door, Elizabeth began to sob; sliding downwards until she reached the floor. She didn't know what to do- or how to feel, or act, or say. A young lady was supposed to be prepared for anything and act accordingly, but she was certainly not prepared for this. She'd known something was wrong with him when he'd returned, but she figured it was the trauma of whatever had happened to him that had changed him so much. He always spoke of their memories as if he were an outsider, only remembering intimate details after being prompted by her recollection. She felt like a fool. What kind of fiancee can't tell that her beloved wasn't actually _her_ beloved? How could she have not known for this long?

After a few minutes of heavy sobbing, Elizabeth stood up and brushed her palms against her navy silk skirt. She walked over to the large mirror that hung over the sink in front of her and splashed water on her puffy face, instantly relieving the hot, sticky feeling that crying so often plagued someone with. After wiping her face with a washcloth, Elizabeth stared at her reflection. She was still pink in the face, and her eyes were still puffy and red. She sniffed suddenly, lifting the washcloth back up to her nose to blow it. After putting the washcloth down for a second time, Elizabeth said to her reflection through gritted teeth.

"You... are the daughter of the leader of the British Knights, Marquee Alexis Leon Midford. You are Elizabeth! Wife of the Queen's Guard Dog!" She declared firmly, pointing at her frustrated reflection.

Determination turned into despair again, as tears began to well up and spill over down the swordswoman's cheeks. She picked up the soap dish that housed the bar of soap she'd used to wash her hands and chucked it fiercely at the mirror, shattering the glass and sprawling the pieces all over the floor. Clinging the the edge of the sink, Elizabeth found herself on the ground again, sitting upon glass shards and sobbing into her free palm.

"You are Elizabeth," she choked in despair, clutching at the fabric the clung to her chest, "A foolish harlot, in love with the Phantomhive twins."

After taking a few moments to sob in the privacy of the bathroom, Elizabeth Midford sunk her nails into her arms, feeling her jaw clench as the last of her tears _plinked!_ against the beige tile of the floor. Her blonde head was huddled over her knees as her breathing intensified. Suddenly, she lifted her puffy red, tear stained face and grasped firmly onto the edge of the sink above her, using it to hoist herself up. The hallow young lady sauntered over to the window of the powder room and pushed it open, allowing the rain to splatter on the floor. Lifting her heavy skirt up with her right hand, she grabbed a set of swords that were crossed in decoration on the wall. She then slid down the lower roof of the Phantomhive manor, stabbing the sword into the side of the mention to steady her descent. Once she was a few feet from the ground, she leapt off, taking off into the stormy night.

Our!Ciel felt a familiar twinge of emptiness flicker in his heart, and for the first time since seeing his lost brother, he lifted his bowed head. Whirling around on his high heels, Our!Ciel's eyes reflected a new emotion; panic. As his words caught in his throat; his demon butler's red eyes glowed in understanding. Sebastian quickly rushed in the direction of his distraught masters' gaze and clasped his perfectly white gloved hand around the brass handle of the powder room and yanked the barricaded door open with ease. Silence- aided by anticipation and uncertainty- saturated the hall. Sebastian turned around to face the room; a disappointed look plastered on the demon's face as he shook his head at his young master. Our!Ciel's jaw and fists clenched before finally opening his mouth to scream.

" ** _LIZZY!"_**


End file.
